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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi: the chipset difference
The first real difference is chipset: ASRock B650 PG Lightning B650 against ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi X870. M.2 slots runs the same way, 3 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi, another win for ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi. They differ on wi-fi onboard too, No on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Yes on the ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi. They differ on m.2 pcie 5.0 slots too, 1 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 2 on the ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi.
Which should you buy, ASRock B650 PG Lightning or ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi?
Buy the ASRock B650 PG Lightning for the most budget-conscious full-ATX AM5 builds and builders who don't need built-in WiFi, though it is not built for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. The ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi is the one to take for long-term builds where TUF's component durability certification matters, though it is not the pick for builds that need more than four M.2 slots. It also earns its place with mainstream AM5 builders who want PCIe 5.0 GPU and SSD support without ROG pricing. It is not the one for overclockers who want the extra VRM headroom of a Crosshair or ROG Strix board.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, socket, memory slots, max memory capacity, form factor and platform included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 9 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi differ on m.2 slots onboard?
Yes. M.2 Slots Onboard reads 3 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi.
Is the Newest CPU Family Supported the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at Ryzen 9000, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- X870
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 4
Board Width
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 305 mm
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 244 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-25%
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 4Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 256 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 4
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 20Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 1
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 16
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220P, 7.1-channel
Expansion
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (2nd slot at x2), 2x PCIe 4.0 x1; 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x2; 4x SATA III; 1x M.2 Key-E (Wi-Fi)
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 mode)
Connectivity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C (20Gbps), 7x Rear USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), 4x Rear USB 2.0
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2x rear USB4 (40Gbps Type-C), 3x rear USB 10Gbps, 4x rear USB 5Gbps, 1x rear USB 2.0; front USB 20Gbps Type-C header (30W PD); BIOS FlashBack
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi
- 4x M.2 (2x Gen5 CPU-attached, 2x Gen4 chipset), 2x SATA 6Gb/s, TUF military-grade certification
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4).
Choose ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi if you want the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.